Indie Urtuk: The Desolation - open-world dark fantasy turn-based RPG

[Galdred]

Only the unit who roots the other enemy gets attack of opportunity if the rooted enemy moves, and only on the rooted enemy.
We didnt want to have the ZOC implicitly as the units doesnt move too far, normally 2hexes, fast units 3hexes. Also we want to emphasize the 'positioning' of units because of flanking and bash/retaliate combos.. for example the Assassin class will 'backstab' (4x normal dmg) the enemy if this enemy gets bashed against assassin by one of the ally units.

Actually, this is a pretty interesting way of doing it, as giving tons of free attacks is a bit over the top too, and it gives an incentinve to not focus every hit on the same target (as you need to attack as many guys as possible to root them).

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Yes, we still are trying to bring some "unique" features into the game, but as more tRPG I play the more I have the feeling everything is already invented .

In any case, if someone is interested we are looking for a tester guy, not only to test but also to bring more ideas into the gameplay.. Let me know what you think.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Yes, we still are trying to bring some "unique" features into the game, but as more tRPG I play the more I have the feeling everything is already invented .

In any case, if someone is interested we are looking for a tester guy, not only to test but also to bring more ideas into the gameplay.. Let me know what you think.

As Ecclesiastes would say... Well you know. I think the tactical combat looks ok, so perhaps its better to focus on map design so there's more meaning to positioning. I also want to hear more about the open world and RPG aspects.

We are now developing "elevated areas" on the battlefield so units can take advantage of this.
The world map is still ongoing process, we already have a prototype, e.g. a procedurally random generated map along with characters and encounters, but needs some visual love

 

[hilfazer]

Jumping enemy can jump even when immobilized. Also, jumping when engaged does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Footman no longer has shield ally

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Jumping enemy can jump even when immobilized. Also, jumping when engaged does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Footman no longer has shield ally

Yes footman does not have this ability anymore as he is already quite strong. The jumping things are bugs, we will fixe them.. thanks for the feedback!

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hi there!

We haven't posted some time now, as we really do hard to design and implement features into the game.
Right now we play with the features around our procedurally generated open world:

we still have a lots of things to do

The world setting takes place in a low fantasy, cruel, grim and dark place with various entities like bandits, adventurers, soldiers, slavers, farmers, mercenaries, monsters and rulers.

A bloodlusty war is going on between two big factions - Iron Legion and Valdor, the latter is going to obligate the world as time progresses..

Then there are monsters underground, lurking, some are imprisoned and some roam freely. These are hostile to everything else when they do ascend from the dungeons to world's surface.

There is also the Slavers faction, they attempt is mainly to capture wounded (after battle) and sell them to slave market. The more they sell slaves, the more wealthy they will be and after some time, they might even start war against other factions.

Player's ultimate goal is to find the Cure for Urtuk - his main game protagonist. He is quite weaken by his condition and won't participate in battles..



Now, we want to add individual behaviors to world entities, so they will act by the own decisions, e.g. what are they best at and what current local circumstances they are engaged with.. Technically we use "Behavior trees" and "Decision trees" for implementation.

Entities will have their own personal story and goals. Some might be farmers, while others are explorers, or mercenaries. The set of roles will be quite big here.

So let me explain the entity's behavior in more details, by this samples:

(1) Say we a farmer, and his brother gets kidnapped by a slaver. Farmer isn't really a fighter so he will probably publish a work-contract for any mercenary who helps him to engage that slaver and free his brother. Now let's say the farmer at this moment doesn't have the gold for the merc, so he will go gather crops and sell it to market until he has enough gold to pay the job.

If the merc gets killed, his family might seek for revenge and a new "event" arises (go find the killer, kill him or poison him).

(2) Say we have an adventurer, who is just curious about the world and wants to reveal secret locations. He might go to dungeon and finds a hidden sacred tomb, he opens it, get some artifact and he's happy. But in the process, while the tomb gets unlocked, a monster (different entity with its own story/goals) appears and slays the poor adventurers. He then might feast on his corpse to transform it to some other monstrosity.


We want that the entities will interact with each other and the world and create their stories. Of course, player is free to engage with then in any way (social, battle, etc..).

With all of this, the ultimate task for us is to create an organic, living world, which evolved even without the player. At the end, it can result in a destroyed world (by Valdor faction or some dungeon monsters invasion or Slavers hegemony) or a happy, peacefull place to live in (optimistic ).



Let me know what you guys think about it!

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Your simulationist vision for Urtuk sounds very promising. At what level of abstraction are all these entities operating in the world? From your mockup it seems like you will have to compute all of these entities interacting simultaneously in real time.

Yes the world is running realtime, while the battle are turn-based.
What abstractions do you mean? In the screen, one figure is one entity..

 

[hilfazer]

I can't tell when it happened but the game got a big overhaul:
http://www.urtuk.com/page/dev-update-2-big-one

Dev update #2
Hello folks,

We did a tremendous amount of work in the past months.

We overhauled the graphics of characters and battlefield terrain, added new combat mechanics and streamlined the gameplay.

Spoiler

The game consists of two parts:

- Battlefield

- World map

As of the battlefield map and rules, we have quite good understanding and thoughts how we build it.

For world map, we still are experimenting with various ideas and iterating. As you could see from previous posts, we first had a hand-made world with static map graphics, fixed quests, paths and pacing.

Then we tried the procedurally generated open world with AI entities traveling and fighting with their own AI (behavioral tree), settlements, generated generic quests, factions and world stories, and in real time.

But after 3 months of implementing and experimenting, although it was technically working perfectly, it was a huge scope to take on . So we decided to simplify and streamline the campaign and invested our time into a more "FTL like" map, with nodes and routes. It is still generated, but the the world rules are much simpler.

We want to introduce the "Domination" core mechanic into the game. This is a special ability in battle, where after some conditions are met, you can try to "dominate" any enemy character. When used, and after it has been downed (after successful battle) he will join your party permanently.

Furthermore, with any party member, you can "butcher" him to extract "live stone", a specific resource which can be used to upgrade member normal abilities, focus abilities and class perks.

Or you can butcher him and extract "mutator", another special item, which can be equipped by any member. Mutator will grant some powerful trait, like +HP or extra counterstrike on hit.

With all of this, we want to make sure, that the party members progression will be vital to gameplay and most engaging for player.



But today, I want to discuss the combat.

We added new features into battlefield, mainly:



Elevated terrain

characters are able to travel only hexes with elevation difference of one, so you might come with some interesting tactics to leverage the various heights. Also, if a character is pushed/thrown to much lower hex, it suffers damage or even can be killed.



Timeline gauge

before this feature, the turn order was - first player, then enemy. Now we introduce the timeline where characters act depending on their "speed". In some games this is called the "Initiative progress".

In this game, the speed can be adjusted by various abilities or effects and player can control the turn queue.

Also we added the "Defend" ability for every character. This means "skip current turn" but with a speed bonus and the ability to parry (block and counterstrike) next incoming normal attack(s). Note, that even if you can parry those attacks, each parry(counterstrike) costs speed and some slow characters will exhaust when parrying too many attacks. Exhausted character is unable to take any action.



After effects

some effects can trigger additional behavior or other effects.
If a character is pushed/bashed into an enemy, that enemy will automatically retaliate, thus triggering a free attack.
If a character is 'Engaged' and moves away from 'Engaging enemy', that enemy will automatically trigger a free attack(attack of opportunity).
Attacking a character with the 'Slowed' or 'Exhausted' status effect will trigger double-strike.
Attacking a character with:
engaged or taunted -> attack gets armour-pierce bonus
bleeding -> attack gets lifesteal bonus
exhausted -> attack gets critical chance bonus

Additionaly, if a character gets a critical hit, then if he is:
poisoned -> he gets the 'weaken' status effect applied
weaken -> he gets exhausted (pushed back in timeline to very beginning)
bleeding -> he gets another stack of bleeding



Focus abilities
Besides the normal class abilities, there is also a special set of abilities called 'Focus abilities'. These
become available only if a character has its 'Focus bar' filled to 100%. Focus abilities are very powerful
and can dramatically change the outcome of a battle. Each class has its specific Focus ability.
The 'Focus bar' fills by doing or taking damage. When at 100%, the ability is added to the global Focus abilities pool. One or more can be used globally anytime if one of your characters is on turn.
A maximum of 5 focus abilities can be hold in the pool. If already at full capacity, the oldest one is replaced by new one.



That's it for now, stay tuned for next dev blog!

Urtuk's twitter page is rather active: https://twitter.com/UrtukTheGame

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Then we tried the procedurally generated open world with AI entities traveling and fighting with their own AI (behavioral tree), settlements, generated generic quests, factions and world stories, and in real time.

But after 3 months of implementing and experimenting, although it was technically working perfectly, it was a huge scope to take on . So we decided to simplify and streamline the campaign and invested our time into a more "FTL like" map, with nodes and routes. It is still generated, but the the world rules are much simpler.

I'd like to hear more about this, please.

Big ideas come with big scope and if I would have another 2 years for just this aspect of the game (open world) I would go for it
Unfortunately I'd like to stay more realistic and want to actually finish the game.
The AI (behavior tree impl.) is working really good and we might use it in maybe different AI area of the game, but for the time being, as of the "overworld map", we will stick to a simple "nodes" map instead. You still have the options to choose which route you will take on. We consider to have sectors/zones where each of it promises new difficulty, setting and enemy types and loot.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

The AI (behavior tree impl.) is working really good and we might use it in maybe different AI area of the game

More details about this please

Well if you want to know what the Behavior tree implementation is - it is just a graph related tree system where each node (leaf) is a specific game action and the parent nodes are kind of decision nodes (logical and/or, negation, condition, etc..). We also implemented on top of the standard behavior tree impl. also "priorities" - like for example a "thief" world entity would have a higher priority to engage in battle in comparison to a "farmer" entity.
As of the next usage of this, we will see . In the battlefield we have already another AI implementation (also graph related), but not that sofisticated as the beh.trees.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

AI implementation question - Are the examples of the farmer and adventurer interaction above still within scope?

These have been already implemented .

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hey there!

We released a combat demo where we feature our primary focus of the game - the battles.

DEMO can be downloaded on itch.io.

So have fun!

Your feedback would be invaluable for us, so please, any suggestions or ideas, let us hear it from you!

Just some teaser screenshots:

 

[Beowulf]

Very thin legs, but a step in the right direction nevertheless.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Yes, we like this concept makes a little bit difference from other games in this genre.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hi folks,

we released our combat pre-alpha demo also for linux and mac!
Just grab the file "urtuk-prealpha-combat-demo-0.5.6.mac-linux.jar" and execute it.
Note that you must have Java 8 installed!

Get it here:
https://madsheepstudios.itch.io/urtuk-the-desolation#download

Let me know what you think!

 

[Trash Player]

I like what you do with initiative and positioning. Gamplay favoring aggression also circumvents a lot of common pitfalls.
Still, I can see potential shooting gallery problems with support fire and terrain manipulation.

 

[MadSheepStudios]

I like what you do with initiative and positioning. Gamplay favoring aggression also circumvents a lot of common pitfalls.
Still, I can see potential shooting gallery problems with support fire and terrain manipulation.

Ranged support is in "balancing progress", we also add new effects to terrain and alter existing, so hopefully it will be balanced as well.

 

[Abu Antar]

 

[MadSheepStudios]

The world and campaign


Hi folks!

Today I want to talk about the strategic layer of the game - the campaign.

This game is a survival adventure RPG, and most of the time you will fight in big encounters. Your followers can be injured, or die if not treated with bandages!

When Urtuk and his followers escape the Underworld to search for the Cure, the player begins his journey on the world's surface - in an old, destroyed, grim, low-fantasy landscape. The final goal is to travel to the Ancient City, far in the East, where Urtuk hopes to find the Cure.

The campaign takes place on a big world map, consisting of many zones. Player begins in the first zone, named 'Badlands', think of desolated savanna land. In each zone, we have implemented a traveling system like in FTL, where you move your party across random generated places interconnected with routes. Normally when party approaches a given place, an encounter event is executed - most often, the battle begins! There are also other kinds of places, like shops or secret entrances to new zones or environments..



A concept drawing of generated world map (first zone 'The Badlands')

The rewards after a successful battle can be various - from Trilium (game's currency for trade) to unique items or new party members or a combination of these.

Player can move only in one direction within the routes in map, from left to right, so normally he cannot travel back, only forward. The reasoning behind this design is that we don't want the player to visit all places within a zone and level up too quickly and get best gear - simply said, we need some balance and game pace.

Also, in a battle, if the odds are against the player, he can retreat. When done so, the party travels to the last place visited in the zone.

Each zone has its final boss node, where he poses a really challenging encounter for the player. Bosses have their own mechanics, strengths and weaknesses. They can be extracted for unique traits and abilities after successful battle!

Note that in this game there isn't any enemy level scaling, so everything you see in the world has been already generated in the beginning and will not change with player's progress. The whole world is always procedurally generated, you get a new game experience with each run!

We want to create 4-5 zones (two zones are already created at the time of writing), where each zone has its own biom, visuals, enemy types and overall feeling. After the zones has been cleared, player moves to the very last node of given zone - Shop. In here, bandages, items or new mercs can be bought with Trilium. Remember, this game is about survival, so when all party members are dead, it's game over! Bandages are the most important items - they heal injured members, so make sure you buy them in plenty!

An important feature of the game is the Extraction of traits. In a battle, Urtuk (or maybe other character) has the ability to inject into enemies a fluid called Aldehyde. With that, when that enemy dies, he can be extracted (butchered) to gain his traits or abilities! These extracted traits are wrapped into special items named Mutators. Any character can equip up to 3 mutators just like a weapon or armour. Some enemies like bosses might have multiple valuable extractables, so it is up to player to take note about what enemies are top priorities. Once in battle, Urtuk does not have an unlimited amount of Aldehyde, so choose wisely!

If you have any suggestions or tips, please give us your feedback!

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Also, in a battle, if the odds are against the player, he can retreat. When done so, the party travels to the last place visited in the zone.

What's the point if

Player can move only in one direction within the routes in map, from left to right, so normally he cannot travel back, only forward

So you have to fight the same exact battle again anyway? Compare with FTL, where if you run away from a battle, you can move ahead on the map, you just miss out on whatever was on that location.

The retreat comes with a quite big cost of your Trilium (game currency), so you cannot retreat for unlimited times as you like... and if your retreat place is a fork then you can choose another route and battle to fight..

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hi folks!

I'd like to post some news about our design progress of the game.

I am striving to find a good, additional game mechanic to deepen the gameplay in battles, e.g. adding more "live" or "awareness" for the player to enjoy.. or make it more connected to the world's campaign.



An "Event illustration": Urtuk's death

My ideas:

1. integrate 'quests' - meaning: add special characters with specific behavior. Let player interfere with this added behavior. Con of this approach is - I want to make it as common game mechanic, not as a concrete case, which after play, stays the same and is not interesting anymore for the player.

We have to find some common pattern, which would be usable in every battle and the presentation and outcome would differ each time..

Some games like Fire Emblem, do add new units for hire in battles - when some of your specific characters approaches them and 'talks' to them. The outcome would be - the unit can join your party..

There are also 'pickable items' like in Ogre Tactics, after an enemy dies or maybe is 'hidden' somewhere on the battle map..This is simple, and quite interesting, but it interferes with battle strategy, so in hard encounters, the player might just skip those items...

Maybe a generic quest with random details can work - something like 'rescue a character', afterwards he can reward player with either joining party, or an item or maybe with a knowledge about some secret location...

There could be several types of the 'character quests' - like mentioned rescue, approach/talk, kill, escort from A to B location, etc..

Also we could 'chain' the quests from battle 1 to battle 2... like rescue char.A, then in next battle, escort him to some safe hexagon..

We could also deepen the quest characters, so their behavior would be a bit different each time based on map, conditions, your char. constelation, biom, ..



2. Deepen even more the already existing features in battles

a) achievement traits, we have now 5 in total, maybe add more?

b) extraction of traits by 'Aldehyde' ability from fallen enemies -> add another usage?

c) various triggers like on-max-focus, deathwatch, on-counterstrike, on-block, on-critical, ... -> add another mechanic or make it chainnable with other mechanic?



3. World's events

basic idea would be that after battle, we could earn some special rewards for characters, let me call them 'Perks'. These would have a specific impact outside of battle - in the campaign layer, e.g. on world's map.

An example of a perk could be 'Blacksmith' - the given character could during a campaign turn have a solid chance to create a masterpiece of an item (based on existing resources the player has).

Another perk could be 'Explorer' - with a successful roll during the campaign turn - a new the world's location could be revealed, perhaps a secret entry to dungeon, or maybe a shortcut do another zone!

There could be a perk which will trigger on character's death - maybe extract traits from fallen party member? Or resurrect him as another entity?



Well, I have to do more thinking about those things, as I want to bring really deep game immersion. Feel free to comment and make suggestions!
We have also DEMO available for PC, Linux & Mac.



David

 

[MadSheepStudios]

Hello folks!

Today let's see how our turn order system works in Urtuk.

If you know the Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, you might have heard about the ATB - Active Time Battle.

The Active Time Battle (ATB) system was designed by Hiroyuki Ito and was the first battle system to receive a dedicated name. It shares many attributes with the original system, but adds the dimension of timing for commands. An ATB gauge tracks when party members are going to act. When the gauge is full, members perform an action. Some actions have an additional wait time, such as casting spells or using special abilities.

After the action is executed, the ATB gauge is depleted and must recharge. The rate which the gauge recharges correlates to the Agility stat of the character.

Every character starts its turn with ATB value of its Agility stat, normally 15. The ATB gauge is charging for all characters on battlefield in parallel, and when a value of 100 is hit, then that associated character gets its turn. This ATB 'charging value' is called Speed in our game. So sometimes, when using a special ability, you see a floating text showing something like 'SPEED -60'. This means that the character's wait time will be much higher and thus will act later than normally.

And sometimes, with special traits, you gain SPEED, thus, your character will get its turn much sooner.

In this animated gif, the guardian bashes the enemy. The bash effect imposes a speed penalty (-60) which makes the enemy act much later in turn queue.

Furthermore, we have implemented a special behavior when character's SPEED drops under given threshold - he gets SLOWED.

Attacking any slowed character, results in an critical hit!

Also, when a character SPEED is very low, he gets the EXHAUSTED status effect - making him unable to react to any incoming action, like retaliate, support, trigger attack of opportunity, etc..

In this gif, the guardian bashes the enemy into rock, resulting into max SPEED penalty, which makes the enemy EXHAUSTED.

That's for today!

If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know!

 

[Abu Antar]

 

[Abu Antar]

 

[Abu Antar]